The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning            Evening      

Psalm 40 

Our prayer lives will be enriched if we listen to a great lesson that’s embedded in our readings. We need to follow the lead of the Psalmist who, we’re told, “waited patiently for the Lord.” Our prayers need to include a time of waiting on God in silence. As the reading from Ecclesiastes says, “let your words be few.” One of my favorite Biblical books is Habakkuk. The prophet Habakkuk complained to God, and then he stopped complaining and listened. He said, “I will stand at my watchpost … I will keep watch to see what he will say to me.” We need to follow the prophet’s lead. We need to make space in our hearts and minds to hear from God. Let’s pursue more silence and less of a “multitude of words.”

Mark

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning            Evening      

Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:3

The reading from Ecclesiastes begins: “I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, wickedness was there…” And he goes on: “Look, the tears of the oppressed.” I feel that the protests that are going on around us at the moment are a challenge for us to open our eyes and really look at what is going on in our society. We need to look past the comfort of our white privilege.

I remember when I first arrived in La Jolla, I came from a very racially diverse neighborhood in London, and was amazed by what I saw here. I saw that all my new neighbors were white and all the gardeners were brown. It was the same in the restaurants. My fellow diners were white, and the staff largely brown. I distinctly remember feeling that I had landed in a land of apartheid. But now I don’t notice. Now that doesn’t strike me as odd. I have got so used to seeing that distinction that I no longer see.
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I read this passage as a challenge to me. I need to look afresh, see again, the injustice of which I am a part. My prayer is that I look at the tears of the oppressed and really see.

Mark

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning           Evening      

Ecclesiastes 1:2,7b-8: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die;...time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

"There is a time for everything" the author of Ecclesiastes reminds us today. The season we are in right now is incredibly painful as we face heart-wrenching realities in our world and nation. This is a time of unrest. Unrest is necessary because we cannot be at peace, true peace, until we acknowledge and respond to the sin of racism in our nation with love and truth, prayerfully bidding God's help and wisdom to get us to the other side. This struggle is between hatred and love and it is between justice and injustice. This is a struggle for all of humanity, regardless of our race or color. 

God has been present and brought humanity through "every matter under heaven."  And God is with us in this season too. We have the privilege of partnering with God in Christ to bring about change.  So how will we choose to respond to the realities of our time? 

~Rebecca+

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning        Evening      

Psalm 45:3: "Ride out and conquer in the cause of truth and for the sake of justice."

Over the past week we have again become witnesses to the painful reality of racism in our nation - a reality that has existed since our nation's earliest days.  It is painful and heartbreaking and it is easy to succumb to hopelessness in the face of it.  And yet, we must find ways to respond in faith. 

Scripture is full of calls to justice and truth. As people of faith, this too is our calling. The Psalmist here envisions a conqueror for the cause of truth and justice.  We will be most successful in the cause of truth and justice when we respond in love. The mistake is to believe that love is weak.  On the contrary, love is the strongest force on earth, stronger than hatred or evil or death. We know that's the case because it was out of love that God sent Jesus to earth. And it was the power of love that defeated sin and death on the cross. Only love can conquer hatred.  We are called to be conquerors, brothers and sisters:  and the weapon that we must wield is love - speaking the truth in love and working for justice out of love for God and our neighbors, our neighbors of all races and colors.  Love is the force that will conquer racism ... so we must wield it powerfully in all that we do and say, with God's help.  

~Rebecca+

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning           Evening      


I Samuel 1:18. "And she said, ‘Let your servant find favor in your sight.'"

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation. This Holy Day invites us to remember the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth. The visit occurs after Angel Gabriel has visited Mary to tell her the good news that she would bear the Son of God. Now this beautiful truth is affirmed by Elizabeth when her babe leaps in the womb and she pronounces blessings on Mary and her child.  It is a beautiful reminder of God's love and favor and it echoes the story of Hannah who prays for God's favor and is blessed with a pregnancy herself. Hannah ultimately gives birth to the prophet Samuel. The common thread in the life of three of these women is faith ... faith in a God who loves us and is eager to bless us. 

What might it look like to follow this example of faith in your own life? How might trusting in God's love, favor, and eagerness to bless you change the way you pray? Live? 

~Rebecca+

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning           Evening       

Luke 10:38, 42

Today’s Gospel contains a sentence that hit home to me: Jesus said; “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things and one thing is needful…” Sometimes I find it helpful to list all the things that I am anxious about. This can help me to contain those things which can seem overwhelming. And I feel that things are less fearful if they are named. It can also help to bring to mind the “one thing which is needful.” Mary, Martha’s sister, found that one thing. She “sat at the Lord’s feet.” We would do well to follow Mary’s example in the midst of our anxiety.

Mark

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning           Evening      

Luke 10:25-37

“Who is my neighbor?” This is the question a lawyer asked of Jesus. It’s a question that has resonated throughout the ages. I feel that the current pandemic has broadened our understanding of how that question might be answered. One of the many lessons we have learnt in recent days is how closely our lives our entwined with others who we would never consider “neighbors.” We’ve discovered that an outbreak of the virus at a meatpacking plant in North Dakota can effect what we eat for Sunday lunch. And the workers at such plants, who are mostly low-paid immigrants, have been deemed “essential.”

One of my hopes for good things that might come out of this pandemic is a deeper appreciation of the bonds which bind us together and a deeper understanding of community; which flows out of a broader understanding of who can be counted as my neighbor.

Mark

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning            Evening      

Ephesians 4:4: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

This verse may sound familiar to you: it forms the opening words of our baptismal liturgy from the Book of Common Prayer. It is the reminder that we are all one, sharing in one Spirit, with one faith, in one God, through our one baptism. 

We Anglicans tend to value a diversity of opinions, and we never expect that we will all agree. Historically Episcopalians have appreciated differences of opinion in our "via media" approach. And yet we embrace the call to hold on to the clear sense of being "one" in Christ. In other words, we value unity in the midst of diversity. Sadly in our culture today we are becoming more and more divided, not just by differences of opinion but by hatred for those who disagree with us. And, perhaps more distressingly, we are beginning to lay claim to different versions of reality itself. We are quickly moving into a position in which "unity" as a culture is becoming less and less possible, even as we face a common threat in this pandemic. 

As people of faith, we are called to be witnesses to the wider world: it is essential that we model what unity in diversity can look like because we live this out as the Church every day. This is a gift we have to offer our world right now. But we have to be intentional and prayerful about it ... we have to think before we speak, write, share, post, text, etc.   

How might we model unity in diversity to the wider world? How can we "speak the truth in love" as verse 15 of this passage enjoins us?  What are some concrete ways we can demonstrate what it looks like to be "one" while disagreeing?  Let's share this gift! 

~Rebecca+

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning           Evening      

1 Samuel 16:7b:  “…the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Isn’t it wonderful that our outward appearance means nothing to God? For all the focus and hype in our culture on good looks and the resulting anxiety so many of us have about it, it’s good to recall that appearances mean nothing in the spiritual life. Maybe this time of quarantine is helping us to care less too, given all the jokes about lack of showers, haircut fails, and quarantine “fashion”/ the lack thereof. It can be good because we may have more mental space to care about what God cares about: our hearts.

This word for “heart” in Hebrew is “lebab” and it has to do with our inclinations, our will, and understanding. The heart is the “seat of life” itself.  So, in what direction are we inclined? Where are we leaning?  Are we inclined towards God, towards aligning our will with God’s will?  

In the end, it is only our hearts that matter – and having a heart focused on God is the most beautiful and important attribute we can ever have. (I still recommend brushing your teeth. )

​~Rebecca+

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning           Evening      

Psalm 89:9: "You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them."

Our world has felt a lot like a raging sea with rising and falling waves (curves?) in this pandemic. The feelings inside me have also at times felt like a raging sea of rising and falling waves of uncertainty and grief. And so I resonate with this ocean imagery a great deal. I have loved swimming and surfing in the ocean over the years but I always have an acute clarity about just how fragile I am when I'm at the mercy of the ocean waves. This season of pandemic has offered me, and all of us, a similar reminder about our fragility as humans. When confronted with the current "raging sea," we are aware of just how little power we have over our external circumstances. It can cause us deep anxiety. But  then the Psalmist reminds us that even in the midst of rising waves, there is One who has the power to still them. And God can give you and I the grace to still the raging sea inside of us as well.   

May God bring peace and stillness to us all in this time - both internally and externally, as we surrender to the loving and all powerful Creator of the universe. 

~Rebecca+

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning          Evening      

Matthew 7:1-12

Yesterday Jesus told us not be anxious and today he says “judge not.” Some things are simply easier said than done! We can’t help but be anxious and judging just comes so naturally to us that it’s not easily avoided. Jesus’s teaching is nothing if not challenging. 

It's also very compelling and simple. What Jesus says about judgement is conveyed so graphically in what he says about logs and specks. And then he manages to sum up so much of his teaching in just a few words, “do to others as you would have them do to you.”

As disciples of Jesus let us seek to walk his ways with confidence and simplicity.

Mark

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning           Evening       

Matthew 6:25-34

Three times in these verses Jesus says “do not be anxious.” Did he not know how much we have to be anxious about?

He also offers three strategies we might adopt to lessen our anxiety;

First, he encourages us to live in the moment. Focus on today, the present, he says, as “tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” 

Second, and related to the idea of focusing on the present, is his suggestion that we “consider the lilies of the field.” Let’s fill our minds with the beauty of simple things.

Third, he says, “seek first God’s Kingdom.” Let us seek God, whose love casts out all fear.

Mark

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning          Evening      

Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path."

I have always loved this passage from Psalm 119. Not only does it remind us of the necessity of God's Word to aid us in our journey through life as a light to our path, but it reminds us of the way God works in our lives. When we walk in the dark, a lantern only shines about as much light as we need to take the next few steps.  A lantern is not a set of headlights or floodlights or a blazing light of any kind. A lantern shines a light upon our path to keep us safe and aware of any changes or obstacles immediately ahead of us, but it does not light up the entire path.  

As we journey through life, we often wish we had the ability to see into the future and know exactly what would happen to us and when.  But God tends to lead us in a way that requires faith: we are given only the light we need to see for today or for the next decision we must make ... we will know where our feet should go for the next few steps if we follow God's lead, but often not beyond that. The greater future is yet unknown. Like walking along a dark path with a lantern, God's Word and work in our lives provides light for us to see the next step, the next choice, the next bend in the corner ... but we walk by faith and will have to trust God for the journey itself.   

We are currently living with a lot of uncertainty and what will ultimately happen is not yet clear. But we can rely on the lantern that God has given in us in God's Word and trust God for the light we need to light our path today. 

Thanks be to God.    

~Rebecca+ 

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning          Evening      

Matthew 13:23: "But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’"

Whenever I read the parable of the sower and the seeds I find myself hoping and praying that I will be the "good soil" that Jesus describes. And don't we all want to be the good soil? Perhaps this time of isolation is the perfect time to cultivate some good soil in our hearts and souls. But how do we cultivate "good soil" in our hearts and souls?  If we break this passage down, we see there are several components to being good soil:

1. We hear the word: To hear the word necessitates listening  - actually spending time in prayer and with God's Word (the logos). We can do this by reading Scripture, participating in worship, praying the Daily Office, and simply listening and looking for God in the world around as well as in the silence (among other things). Where do you hear God? 

2. We understand the word: We gain understanding of God's Word as we prayerfully listen, study, ponder, and seek the Holy Spirit's guidance. We can be assisted in our understanding in many ways - through commentaries, listening to sermons, taking classes, talking to others, participaing in Bible Studies (even online), and by utilizing other study tools and books written by trusted authors. What helps your understanding? 

3. These lead to bearing a "harvest": Our hearts and souls are fed and fertilized by hearing and understanding the word and this leads to bearing fruit - a plentiful spiritual harvest that includes the fruits of the Spirit, good deeds, wisdom and insight, and the following of God's will for our lives.  What fruit do you want to bear?  
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Thanks be to God for opportunities and assistance in cultivating good soil in our hearts and souls.   

~Rebecca+

The Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer are found in the Book of Common Prayer or online: 

Morning           Evening       

Colossians 1:9: "For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding..."

Recently the Bishop circulated an article about the effects the pandemic is having on clergy and it mentioned that many of us "lose sleep" while worrying and thinking about our parishioners.  It brought to mind the many nights I've stayed awake or simply woke early to pray for parishioners who were suffering or struggling or had simply asked for prayer.  I know many of us do.  Certainly everyone at St. James has been in our prayers daily:  "God, please give everyone at St. James your protection, health, provisions, and peace." 
At a time like this, we may not feel like we are doing enough or even feel like we can "do" much at all, but we can always pray.  And we are praying for you and we are praying for each other.  This ministry of prayer is something we can all do anytime and anywhere, just as St. Paul describes.  So let's keep praying for one another to know God's presence and will "in all spiritual wisdom" during this challenging time.  Prayer is powerful!  

In Christ,

~Rebecca+